A Typical Day in the Life of an Apprentice

Typically, the day of the apprentice begins at around 4am, preparing horses for track work. From 4.30am till around 8.30am, the apprentice rides track work for the stable to which he/she is apprenticed. Apprentices may also undertake track work for trainers from other stables, to increase their riding opportunities. Back at the stable by around 9am, the apprentice attends to stable duties, such as feeding horses, cleaning yards, boxes, and tack.

On race riding days, the apprentice may rest or sleep for an hour or so, to restore physical strength after the early rise and morning of physical activity. Apprentice jockeys are expected to be at the races at least one hour before their first engagement for the day.

Many apprentices ride at provincial or country meetings, thus lengthening the travel time involved before and after their riding commitments. Often travel can be up to two or more hours each way to the venue. Once at the race meeting, many apprentices spend time preparing themselves mentally for competition.

The number of races an apprentice competes in is dependent upon the rides obtained through the apprentice's master or other trainers. In addition to riding, the course of the day may involve stewards inquires and reporting back to owners and trainers on performance of the horses ridden in the races. On return to the stable, the apprentice is still expected to attend to some evening stable tasks prior to retiring for the evening. Typically, the apprentice is in bed and asleep around 8 - 8.30pm.

One day per fortnight is allocated as free time from the stable, however, before commencing leisure activities, apprentices are expected to undertake morning stable duties. It should be noted that, with the introduction of Sunday racing and day-night races, free time or a regular fortnightly day off is not always practicable for the stable. A recent initiative by Racing Victoria was the introduction of a rule

that ensures that all jockeys, including apprentices, have at least a 10-hour rest after racing riding before commencing stable and track duties.

Thus, it can be observed that from a very young age the apprentice jockey is subjected to long days of rigorous physical and mental activity, which few of their contemporaries undertake.

In the words of one retired jockey:

I was apprenticed to X and I was 14 years of age, and we used to start work at 4 o'clock in the morning and get half an hour for breakfast and we'd work through to 12 and then off until afternoon. We'd then start at 3 and we'd work through till 5.30. Then we'd come back at 7 and work through 7.30-8 o'clock at night. And that was 7 days a week.

3.4.1 Income

During the apprenticeship, the apprentice jockey is paid a wage as provided for in the Horse Industry Award. The apprentice is also paid for services as a jockey when engaged to ride in races. In addition to riding fees, the apprentice, like fully registered jockeys, is entitled to 5% of any prize money earned in races. These earnings are held in trust until the completion of the apprenticeship.

An apprentice must remit 25% of all earnings (except wages) to the master as a condition of the apprenticeship. Some apprentices retain the services of an agent to manage their affairs and will, in addition, usually remit 10% of their earnings for this service. Agents are typically appointed in the later period of the apprenticeship, when riding demands increase.

3.4.2 Claims

An apprentice is entitled to claim a weight reduction of up to 3 kilograms on the handicapped weight of the horse, based on a scale of allowances related to the number of winning rides achieved. The weight allowance is reduced to:

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3.4.3 Retention Rates

Some apprentices do not complete their apprenticeship training. The main reasons for leaving an apprenticeship include weight gain, social pressures, failure to reach expectations, lack of competency in key areas such as riding, or for disciplinary reasons.

Historically, dropout rates reached approximately 25% of the apprentice intake, however, recent changes to the recruitment and induction procedures and the introduction of a structured training program in 1992, has reduced the drop-out rate markedly. It is now generally accepted that since the advent of the Education and Training Centre and a structured training program, about 10% of the annual intake, which equates to two apprentices per year, will leave the course before completion of their certificate.

3.4.4 Completion of Training

The apprentice spends three years in regular attendance at the Education and Training Centre combined with on-job training in a racing stable while gaining race-riding experience. Assessment of progress by industry assessors takes place regularly at the workplace during training. At the completion of formal training, the apprentice graduates with the Certificate IV in Racing (Thoroughbred) Jockey. Racing Victoria's Education and Training Centre, as a Registered Training Organisation, issues the qualification.

The fulfilment of the training curriculum does not complete the apprenticeship process. The apprentice is required to continue working and riding under the control of the master for a further year. Most apprentice jockeys typically “come out of their time” and become jockeys after four years of training. This graduation process can occur sooner or later, depending on individual circumstances and riding competency. However, in specific circumstances apprentices who reduce their weight allowance claim to zero, may apply for special consideration of the stewards to complete their apprenticeship early. For those requiring more time to gain experience, an extension of the apprenticeship may be permitted.